Drops of Dissidia
by Idle Stripe
Summary: Dissidia drabbles for the gamer's soul. All characters and settings of 'Dissidia' are owned by SquareEnix, I own any OCs and opinions I use and other characters, settings and assosciated items belong to their respectful owners. NOW DECLARED OC-CENTRED.
1. Language Lessons: AU

_**-Drops of Dissidia-**_

_**-A collection of 'Dissidia: Final Fantasy' drabbles'**_

_(Yeah, hi folks. I needed to do another drabble series because everything else is going slowly, so here's a Dissidia one for you. Perhaps the next drabble series will be Final Fantasy VII or VIII; I'm not entirely sure. But enjoy this, anyway! :3)_

=^w^=

Part One: Language Lessons (AU)

"_Aqlica sa cen, luimt oui bmayca dyga sa du dra bumela cdydeuh?" _(1)

"_Fro, yna oui eh dnuipma?" _(2)

"Oh Tidus, that was terrible!"

"I had to, but you're really picking up Al Bhed fast. How do you do it?"

"I've always been good at languages; I know seven of the damn things."

"_Naymmo?" _(3)

"Uh, yep. Languages beat the hell out of any mathematics or science I was forced to do."

"Your mom hate you that much, did she?"

"No, but my dad didn't really stop her. Mind you, I stopped focusing in those classes after he died. Mum never cared; she just hired a tutor to help me with my grades."

"What was the next exercise?"

"Um...'conduct a conversation about a personal topic. The conversation must last two minutes and you must provide a script with your final submission'."

"That's it? We just have to tape a conversation about whatever?"

"That's what it says, Tidus, or would you like to borrow my glasses?"

"Comedic, Tora, real comedic."

"I didn't think you knew those words."

"_Ouin funtc fuiht sa, tayn bnehlacc. E ys hudrehk pid y sana canjyhd eh ouin bnacahla." _(4)

_"Vuumecr ghekrd, ed ec E fru ec dra canjyhd eh ouin aoac. E uvvan oui cu meddma eh nadinh vun cu silr." _(5)

"_E uhmo ycg vun uha drehk vnus oui: ouin raynd." _(6)

"_So raynd fyc ymnayto ouinc, cen ghekrd. E kyja ed du oui frah uin aoac vencd sad." _(7)

"Really?"

"You are such a mood-killer, mate."

"Damn it! Of all the dumb times to open my mouth..."

"Aw, buck up babe; you're snuggling now, anyway."

"Oh yeah. Now it's time to abandon our homework and do something constructive."

"_Po luhcdnildeja, tu oui sayh sispmehk drehkc eh Ym Prat yc fa syga uid uh ouin pat?"(8)_

"I was going to work on that mark on your chest, but I guess we can start there. When was the last time I kissed you, anyway?"

"This morning when you saw me at the Academy gate."

"That was too long ago."

"You were feeling me up during History! How is that 'too long ago'?"

"Because I say so. Now shut up and let me neck you."

"I'm not moaning in Al Bhed."

"_Bmayca?" _(9)

"_Hu!" _(10)

=^w^=

1: Excuse me sir, could you please take me to the police station?

2: Why, are you in trouble?

3: Really?

4: Your words wound me, dear princess. I am nothing but a mere servant in your presence.

5: Foolish knight, it is I who is the servant in your eyes. I offer you so little in return for so much.

6: I only ask for one thing from you: your heart.

7: My heart was already yours, sir knight. I gave it to you when our eyes first met.

8: By constructive, do you mean mumbling things in Al Bhed as we make out on your bed?

9: Please?

10: No!

=^w^=

**Author's note: I found an Al Bhed translator on the Internet and that's what I used to translate the sentences. If anyone wants it, let me know.**


	2. Meetings

_**-Drops of Dissidia-**_

_**-A collection of 'Dissidia: Final Fantasy' drabbles-**_

=^w^=

Part Two: Meetings

"About time you showed up."

"Technically I'm not supposed to be here." Sephiroth smirked at the Cosmos messenger (1) and placed Masamune on the ground in front of him, showing he was not here to pick a fight. Tora raised her pierced eyebrow at the action, unconsciously straightening her posture.

"This is a first," she commented finally, "Normally you're the first one to strike a blow."

"I am not here to fight. I called on you because I seek your assistance." the silver-haired man replied.

"Regarding what?"

"An injury." Now he had her full attention. From the stories Tora has heard, Chaos's champions (her mother's words, not hers) were rude, selfish assholes who never took help from anyone.

Then again, she _was_ a Cosmos messenger, and the stories she was told _may_ have been biased a little. It was all bad brainwashing, in her mind. Brushing invisible dirt from her white outer robe, Tora walked forward and stood in front of the Chaos champion.

"What's the injury?" she asked. Sephiroth reached up and pulled the right shoulder of his heavy black coat off, revealing a poorly bandaged wound that was still weeping through the dirty linen that bound it loosely. The Cosmos messenger gasped softly at the unhygienic state of the wound and reached out, gently pulling the cloth from his shoulder.

"Why do you do this to yourself, Sephiroth?" she whispered as she ripped a section of her inner robe away, wiping at the still weeping wound.

"It's the only way I can see you outside of battle without making everyone suspect the two of us." he replied softly as more of Tora's robe bound his shoulder cleanly. Tora gently brushed her lips across the cloth and looked up into his glowing green eyes. Sephiroth lifted his good hand and played with the stray strands of orange and black hair falling from her long ponytail.

She pushed away after a while, ignoring the slight sting in her chest as she did so.

"I have to get back to Cosmos." she said firmly. In a flash of white light she disappeared, leaving Sephiroth to stand in the clearing holding a spare strip of her torn robe.

=^w^=

1: Because Cosmos is such an important deity, she has 'messengers' who assist her heroes at various stages of their journeys. Tora is just one of the more important ones.


	3. Midnight Run: AU

_**-Drops of Dissidia-**_

_**-A collection of 'Dissidia: Final Fantasy' drabbles-**_

=^w^=

Part Three: Midnight Run (AU)

"Can I help you?"

Both youths jumped when the clerk's voice pierced the awkward silence they were in. Spinning around, they faced said clerk then looked at each other, searching for an explanation for their actions.

"What?" Cloud asked her. She flicked a section of her striped hair behind her ear and folded her arms as if to say 'You tell me'.

"You two have been staring at the same section for over twenty minutes," she replied, "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you two were lost." She didn't have the patience for this sort of naiveté; she didn't have any patience for anything at three-thirty in the morning.

"We're not-" Cloud started.

"Our friend Terra woke us up during the sleepover we were having and made us come here because her friend had showed up." Luneth (1) interjected quickly, shooting a glance at the older blond. The clerk snapped her mouth shut before her retort came out, barely holding back a snicker at their current situation. It amazed her how many men came in at this time of morning on midnight runs; she was just lucky she was female.

Pushing all giggle-infested thoughts from her mind, she strode forward toward the shelf and pushed the youths out of the way. Luneth blinked, confused; what the hell was going on?

"Inside or outside?" she asked. Cloud turned beet red and scuffed his shoe against the polished linoleum floor.

"I need an answer, sir, or else I cannot help you." the clerk said in a singsong voice that confused Luneth even more.

"...outside." the elder blond replied finally, his redness going darker. The clerk took a step to the right.

"Regular or super?"

"Regular."

"Wings?"

"No." Plucking a dark blue packet off the shelf, the clerk pressed it into Cloud's hand and led the two youths to the register so that he could pay for the item. She stopped momentarily to pick up a small purple box and put that with his purchase as well.

"What are they?" Luneth asked, recognising the fact that they were pain relief tablets.

"They're special tablets your friend can take to help ease whatever pain she's in," the clerk replied, smiling, "I swear by them." Nodding briskly, the elder blond paid and dragged his younger counterpart out of the store amid a cheerful call of 'Come again!'

"What was all that about?" Luneth asked as they climbed onto Cloud's motorcycle. Putting his helmet on Cloud refused to answer, the red stain on his face still present.

Terra could do her own damn shopping next time, he thought firmly as he kicked Fenrir to life.

=^w^=

_**Just After They Left...**_

"Terra? Tora here. Those boys you texted me about just left. Yeah, the two blondes. The elder one had a vague idea, but the look of confusion on the younger one's face was just so priceless. What? No, I did not laugh, regardless of the temptation. Hey, I didn't laugh so now you have to set me up with that guy that you said you would. You know, the silver-haired guy with the bandana and the rose. Did you know he gave me a lily the other day and called me 'beautiful'? That's about as far as it got. Oh come on Terra, don't – hello? Damn, shouldn't have done my imitation of her around that guy she keeps harping onto me about..."

=^w^=

1: I did some research about 'Dissidia' and I discovered that Onion Knight bore a resemblance to Luneth (who I can't remember who was), so in my alternate universe Onion Knight is Luneth while he's Onion Knight in the Dissidia-verse.


	4. The Reign of Chaos

_**-Drops of Dissidia-**_

_**-A collection of 'Dissidia: Final Fantasy' drabbles-**_

=^w^=

Part Four: The Reign of Chaos

Chained together in a line, the ten warriors of Cosmos trudged slowly through the plain, dragged along from in front by Jecht and pushed from behind by Golbez. Surrounding them were Kuja, Ultimecia, Sephiroth and the Emperor, each of them not wasting their opportunity to torture their chained adversaries. Zidane, Squall, Cloud and Firion were now covered in small bruises and cuts thanks to the Chaos warriors' constant teasing.

"Ah, there you are," Chaos's voice rose above the murmuring, his form made visible thanks to Garland's body, "It's so nice of you to join us."

"Do your worst." Warrior of Light stated. Chaos shook his head.

"I already have. Mateus, let them go." Nodding, the Emperor raised his lance and crumbled the chains binding their feet and necks together. The hands, however, were still bound.

"Exdeath, bring her forward." Terra gasped as the tree-like armour brought forward the Cosmos messenger who served them by her hair, blood dripping slowly out of her mouth and from a cut along her cheek. She was thrown forward at the God of Discord's feet and whacked by one of Kuja's attacks. Ultimecia fired several magical arrows into her back and, just to make sure, Sephiroth thrust Masamune through her leg.

"Tora!" Tidus cried. The messenger got to her feet shakily, her weight focused on her right leg to compensate for the pain shooting through her whole body. Drawing herself to her full height she spat at Chaos's feet, glaring at him with gold eyes dulled by mistreatment.

"The deal is done, Chaos," she hissed, "Let them go."

"What deal?" Zidane asked. Tora turned her head away; she couldn't look her friends in the eye after what she'd promised the God of Discord.

"Chaos was planning on turning you lot into our slaves," Jecht explained with a nasty smirk, "But when your little gal pal there found out she switched your lives for hers. Don't blame her, really; she's a babe."

"You're sick, old man!" The tanned man laughed loudly at his son's outburst, hands on his hips. Warrior of light looked at the Cosmos messenger.

"Tora, is this true?" he asked. She nodded.

"You are the only ones who can continue Cosmos's legacy. I'm just a messenger; I'm not worth anything," she whispered apologetically, "One life is worth nothing when you have ten to save."

"There has to be another way!" Onion Knight struggled forward but a set of snake-like tentacles and his bound hands prevented him from moving forward. Each Chaos warrior held their Cosmos counterpart down as Chaos loomed over Tora.

"You shall live on, Tora." Firion said.

"In all of us." Cecil added.

"We'll fight for Cosmos." Bartz continued.

"And for you." Terra whispered.

"You've saved us too often." Cloud growled.

"Now it's our turn." Squall finished for him. Tora nodded at each of them, then turned to the God of Discord who grinned with a lecherous look.

Her screams echoed through the whole plain, shaking each warrior of both sides to its very core.

"We're so sorry...Tora." Jecht whispered, loud enough for Tidus to hear.

=^w^=


	5. Band Geek: AU

_**-Drops of Dissidia-**_

_**-A collection of 'Dissidia: Final Fantasy' drabbles-**_

=^w^=

Part Five: Band Geek (AU)

THUD. CRASH. "Ow!" BANG! "Damn it!" THUD. WHUMPH. "Thank you, Tora."

"I'm hesitant to ask why you've become as graceful as a tripped-out Cloud, but I really need an explanation as to why I had to place a bean bag at the end of the hall." Tora turned to face her future stepbrother, a blank look on her face that really confused the guy. Tidus shook off his confusion (and the last few thumps he took) and stood up, dusting himself off and assuming a victory position.

"I scored backstage passes to 589's concert!" he squealed, "Two of them!" Gold eyes blinked.

"That's nice." she said.

"Wh-what?" Tidus vaulted over the couch and plucked the book his future stepsister was reading from her hands, making her focus all her attention on him, "How can you just brush that off? This is a big deal!"

"For you, perhaps," Tora replied, "I, for one, happen to have more than just 589 on my iPod and I don't need to know the band members' birthdays or what their preferred underwear kind is."

"I don't know that!"

"It's your next conquest, though."

"Shut up, Tora. If I stop obsessing until the concert, will you come with me?" And there was the clincher. Tora rolled her eyes and looked at the blitzball player with the same blank expression from before, weighing the options in her head.

Go with Tidus and hear the end of it, or don't go with Tidus and never hear the end of it.

She hated her life.

"Fine, I'll go with you. Just don't do that victory dance of yours; we need that energy for the announcement Jecht and Mum are making tonight." she said darkly. Tidus whooped and threw his arms around her in a hug before dashing into the back of their apartment to shower.

He was going to see 589 live! With his future stepsister! Well, Rhea _did_ say they needed to spend more time together as siblings; living together didn't quite cut it, apparently.

=^w^=

"And this is the sound room. The guys in here make sure we always sound our best when we're out on stage..."

Tora folded her arms and listened to the smallest member of 589 – a blond named Zidane – ramble on about how the sound crew the band had always used since their first days of touring. Beside her, Tidus was listening intently, almost mentally taking notes.

If she focused hard enough, she'd be able to see the little versions of her future stepbrother furiously writing stuff down...

"Hey," Shaking her head, she looked in the direction the voice was coming from, "Come with me." It was another of 589 – 5, she thought – and he was making the 'follow me' motion with his hands. Shrugging with one shoulder, she slipped past Tidus and followed him through the maze that was the backstage area until they reached a small room just away from the costume department – a break room. He walked to the fridge and extracted two bottles of water, tossing one to her and taking a drink from the other.

"You looked bored," he offered as an explanation, "I'm Bartz."

"Tora." Sipping the water, she walked into the room and sat on one of the couches situated around a glass coffee table, "I hope Tidus isn't going gaga over your two other friends."

"You mean Squall and Zidane? Don't worry; Squall will let him know if he's out of line. He does it all the time for us." The giggle that slipped out of the girl's lips made the brunet relax in her presence – even more than he had when he'd first seen her with the other boy. Sitting beside her, he reached for a pen and held it out to her.

"Want to give me your number?" he asked, smiling, "It'd be easier for me to call you than you me." Tora found herself blushing at the smile on Bartz's face. Sure, she thought he was cute, and perhaps she could get into their music a little more...

Oh, to hell with it.

Scribbling her number on a napkin, she handed it to him just as Tidus barged into the room, followed closely by the other two members of 589.

"Someone will be here shortly to show you out," the tall brunet said, folding his arms, "Did you enjoy the tour?" The short blond retracted his elbow as if he hadn't just shoved it into his friend's side and grinned, giving the two a thumbs up. Still blushing Tora nodded while Tidus bounced on the balls of his feet.

"It was great! Thank you so much for having us backstage." he said, catching the look his future stepsister was sending him. Bartz laughed and casually threw his arm over the back of the couch, right behind Tora's shoulders.

"It was no trouble at all," he said, "Just keep yourselves out of trouble, alright?" The door to the break room opened and their security guard – a burly guy in a suit called ExDeath – called the names of the fans. Standing up, Tora led Tidus away from the band, the blush still on her face. As the door closed, Squall turned his eyes to Bartz.

"You're hopeless." he said flatly.

"Hey, she gave me her number, not the other way around." the other brunet retorted.

=^w^=

A week after the concert, Tora was studying in her bedroom when her cellphone suddenly began to ring.

"Huh?" She looked at the flashing object, "I thought Tidus left his phone at home." Picking it up, she pressed the 'talk' button, "Hello?"

"_Hey Tora. It's Bartz."_

"Oh...hi there."

"_Wanna meet me for lunch at the Lifestream Cafe?"_

"Sure. What time?"

"_Whenever you get here. I'll be waiting."_

"Okay then." Hanging up, Tora was about to dash off when she remembered, "Tidus won't know where I've gone. Hang on." She ripped a blank piece of paper out of her workbook and hurriedly scribbled a note on it, leaving it on the kitchen counter before grabbing her keys and dashing out of the house.

_Tidus, I've gone to the Lifestream Cafe to meet a friend. There's stuff in the fridge if you get hungry. –Tora._

=^w^=

**Author's Note: This isn't my best, I know. And it's so cliché I can already feel the flames.**


	6. A Spot Of Bother

_**-Drops of Dissidia-**_

_**-A collection of 'Dissidia: Final Fantasy' drabbles-**_

=^w^=

Part Six: A Spot Of Bother

Kuja had him surrounded on all sides with his magic. If he made one wrong move, he was going to be turned into mime soup faster than he could change jobs.

Bartz had only one chance.

Reaching down his shirt, he produced a tear-shaped crystal attached to a thin leather strap and forced his magic into it, charging the Summon Meter for it. The crystal began to glow with a white light, and as Kuja set off his traps the light enveloped the attack.

"Ugh, never fails. You get a winning hand, there's a phone call for you."

The fifth Cosmos Warrior stared at the Cosmos messenger in front of him, his eyes wide with confusion. Tora was standing in front of him with her white-robed arms folded over her chest and a scowl on her face as deep as Squall's. Maybe she'd been practicing...

"Your life is saved, Bartz," she said, turning to him, "Although I'm sure if you think about this, you could've gotten out of it easily."

"Huh?" the brunet asked. The Cosmos messenger slapped her hand to her face as Zidane's brother charged up another attack, lifting her defence as it was fired.

"You've got one more shield to work it out, Bartz." she said. Bartz blinked at her, realising that he had been issued an ultimatum: work out how he could've escaped or dismiss his Summon. He cast his eyes around the area he'd found himself in, looking for the answer, when it suddenly slapped him in the face.

"Bartz! There you are!"

Literally.

"Can we hurry this up?" Tora was getting annoyed, "I've paused a poker game with Ifrit and Valefor to come here, and you know what Ifrit's like when he gets pissed."

"I dismiss you." Bartz said, wrestling himself from underneath the ninth Cosmos Warrior.

"Thank you. By the way, you couldn't have gotten out of that; I managed to distract Kuja for you." As she disappeared in a flash of white light to leave behind her tear-shaped crystal, both Bartz and Zidane looked over where the ninth Chaos Warrior used to be.

He was now running after a copy of his brother.

"Wow..." Zidane was wide-eyed.

=^w^=

**Author's Note: Tora's Summon powers last for either sixty seconds or three shields; what she can do is she can create a defence for the Cosmos Warrior who summons her, or she can 'distract' the enemy by summoning a 'copy' of a random Warrior for as long as she can last.**


	7. Bridal Shop: AU

_**-Drops of Dissidia-**_

_**-A collection of 'Dissidia: Final Fantasy' drabbles-**_

=^w^=

Part Seven: Bridal Shop (AU)

"Hey Tora, let's go in there!" Terra pointed excitedly to the store right beside them, her eyes lit up with glee as she saw the window displays. Tora bit her lip nervously and studied the displays as well; wouldn't it seem a little..._weird_...if they went in there?

"I don't know, Terra," she replied, "Don't you think we're a bit too...er..._single_ to go in there?"

"Nonsense; my friends and I do it all the time!" Grabbing the gold-eyed girl's hand, the green-haired girl dragged her friend inside and marvelled at everything around her. Tora groaned; of all places, a _bridal shop_? White material stretched as far as the walls would allow, interspersed with other colours that suggested that the shop also took care of formal events as well. Snappish young women with their attendants entered and left the shop, something about the designs on offer displeasing them.

Tora blinked. It was just a dress, what the hell was so special about it?

"Oh my gosh! You two are gorgeous!" A middle-aged attendant rushed up to them, her caked-on makeup offsetting the rather nice bodice she wore, "Which one of you is the blushing bride?"

"Um...me..." Terra lowered her head in embarrassment as she spoke, a slight tinge of pink on her cheeks. The woman clapped her hands and disappeared into the sea of white, her voice suddenly high-pitched and annoying. Tora looked over at her friend, who shrugged as the woman returned holding one white dress and one dark violet one. Gold eyes widened.

"Uh...no. I don't look good in purple; clashes with my skin tone." Tora said quickly as she was ushered into a spare change room beside Terra.

"Nonsense," The woman hurriedly added a small jewelled tiara to the gold-eyed girl's collection before the doors close, "I've been in this business for twenty-five years and just by looking I can tell what colours suit you."

"Don't argue." Terra said from beside her. Tora blinked at the wall separating the two of them and sighed, slowly stripping off her jacket.

=^w^=

'_Hey, sorry I can't answer your call, but leave your message and a number and I'll get back to you.'_

Disconnecting before he could leave a message, Squall huffed and turned back to the small group he was associating with for the time being – the group being Bartz, Zidane, Tidus, Cloud and Cecil.

"She's not answering." he said flatly.

"That doesn't make sense," Tidus said, resting his chin on his hand, "Her phone is surgically attached to her person; why isn't she answering?"

"Didn't she say she'd be out today?" Cecil commented, twirling a section of his silver hair around his finger before tucking it behind his ear. All males present looked at each other, then silently stood and began heading through the town searching for the elusive females of their group. As they passed the Alexandria Bridal Boutique they heard a curious conversation.

"No really, I told you purple wasn't my colour."

"Nonsense, you look gorgeous, honey! The tiara in your hair makes you look like a princess!"

"You look really pretty, Tora."

"The problem with that sentence is that my name and 'pretty' was used in it at the same time. I don't do 'pretty'."

"You're right. You do stunning!"

"Tora, stop being so modest and have a look at yourself in the mirror." The males outside watched as two change room doors opened and two girls stepped out, one with green hair and one with striped hair. One wore a simple princess-style white dress that was completed by a small veil over her face, while the other wore a dark violet dress that ended at her knees completed by a small jewelled tiara in her hair.

...did the temperature suddenly skyrocket or something?

"Is that..._Terra and Tora_?" Zidane breathed, "Whoa...girls got curves."

"Are either of them available?" Bartz mused, rubbing his chin in thought.

"This is so wrong, this is so wrong, this is so wrong..." Tidus squeezed his eyes shut and rubbed at his temples to try and remove the image of his stepsister's long legs from his mind, "Think of Yuna, think of Yuna, think of Yuna..." Cecil, Cloud and Squall remained silent; Cecil from awe, Cloud from shock, and Squall from amazement. _Now_ they understood what a dress was for...

"Oh, dear God!"

The boys snapped out of their trances to look through the window again, where both girls had spotted them. Terra was blushing to the roots of her hair, while Tora looked like she was going to throw herself through said window and tear them all to shreds for glimpsing at them.

...uh oh.

"Let's go." Grabbing at Zidane and Bartz, Squall dragged the group away while shooting the gold-eyed girl a look that clearly said 'Sorry'. Tora waved off his look and dashed into the change room, her face so hot it could light up the town with its intensity.

"Told you purple was your colour." the attendant said smugly.

=^w^=

**Author's Note: I've never done this, but I reckon it'd be fun.**


	8. First Encounter

_**-Drops of Dissidia-**_

_**-A collection of 'Dissidia: Final Fantasy' drabbles-**_

=^w^=

Part Eight: First Encounter

"It's been ten minutes already! Really, you'd think she'd picked sloths for her side; they're so slow!"

Silence.

"That's not helpful. And I've got them all with me."

More silence.

"That's not funny!"

Looking at each other, the ten Cosmos warriors blinked as they tried to work out whose voice it was that was floating through the clearing. It sounded female, and perhaps a little childish. It also appeared that she was talking to herself. Warrior of Light stood up a little straighter and fixed each of his comrades with an impassive look.

"We need to find out who that is." he said flatly.

"But what if she's with Chaos?" Onion Knight asked, subtly sidling closer to Terra at the thought. The Esper nodded at the small warrior's question.

"That's a chance we have to take." Cloud said, his hand on his sword's handle. The others rumbled out noises of affirmation, and after a few minutes declared the seventh warrior the leader of the expedition.

His grip tightening on the Buster Sword, Cloud led the others into the clearing, mako blue eyes glinting with the possibility of a fight. As they cleared a section of rocky outcrop, a powerful magical blast knocked them all onto their backs. The person in the clearing gasped and ran forward, identifying herself as a female clad in a white robe over the top of what appeared to be a green full-body suit. She had long orange and black hair that was pulled into a plait on top of her head with a metal circlet around her forehead, and brilliant gold eyes that shone like the sun.

"I am so sorry about that," she said, waving a glowing hand around, "I wasn't expecting the trap to go off so powerfully."

"You set that?" Zidane asked, helping Bartz to his feet. The female nodded.

"Yep! It was supposed to be a defence against Chaos's forces, but I guess I didn't quite get it right. So, who are you guys exactly?" Standing up, all ten of them organised themselves so that she could see all of them at the same time.

"We are the champions of Cosmos." Warrior of Light said. It took the whole of three seconds for the statement to sink in before the female fell over laughing.

The ten warriors were a bit miffed; why was she laughing at them.

"Ah..." Wiping a tear from her eye, the female stood up and dusted off her robe, "That's a good one. Now tell me who you really are."

"But...Warrior of Light did. We are-" Cecil began.

"You can't be champions. Cosmos would've told me if I was to meet ten champions. I was just told to meet ten warriors, which I'm guessing is you guys." she interrupted, reaching into the pouch on her left hip and producing ten necklaces. Each necklace had a small tear-shaped crystal on the end of it.

"You know Cosmos?" Tidus asked. The female nodded.

"I'm a Cosmos messenger. Basically I do all the work with you guys while she prepares herself for a fight with Chaos." she replied. Moving forward, she looped a necklace around each of their necks and stood back, grinning widely.

"What are these?" Squall asked.

"They're Summon crystals. You can use them to summon me if ever you're in a tight spot. I warn you now though, I only last for three shields or one distraction. You'll find out what that means when I show you." The female turned around and began to head back into the clearing.

"Wait!" She turned to face Firion, "What name do we use to summon you?"

The female lightly slapped her forehead. "Let's see...Shiva calls me a nuisance, my mother calls me daughter, but you guys can call me Tora." she said, waving a cheerful goodbye and disappearing in a flash of white light.

The ten warriors all blinked at the spot Tora used to be in, the notion still processing itself in their minds.

"Wait, we are too champions!" Tidus snapped back first, shaking his fist at the spot, "We'll prove it to you, Tora!" A giggle rang through the clearing.

"_Okay then."_ came her voice, making everyone jump. They were right about their earlier assumption; she certainly was childish.

=^w^=


	9. The Morning After: AU

_**-Drops of Dissidia-**_

_**-A collection of 'Dissidia: Final Fantasy' drabbles-**_

=^w^=

Part Nine: The Morning After

Wol _(1)_ was a quiet drunk.

Firion was an angry drunk.

Luneth was too young to drink.

Cecil was a sleeping drunk.

Bartz was a Bartz drunk.

Terra was a depressed drunk.

Cloud was a talkative drunk.

Squall was a cuddly drunk.

Zidane was a crying drunk.

Tidus was a hyperactive drunk.

And Tora was the one who had the biggest headache of them all.

"Never again..." she hissed, picking up empty vodka bottles and throwing them into a large rubbish bag, "am I allowing those idiots to drink in my house." More empty bottles made it into the bag, and it was soon filled and discarded into the bin. Returning inside, Tora discovered nine hungover and unwell-looking people slowly coming out of their alcohol-induced stupors in the various places they'd been left to sleep in.

Somehow, Cloud ended up on top of the couch with Wol underneath him.

"Make the room stop spinning..." Zidane groaned from underneath Terra, who was slowly sitting up and turning as green as her hair.

"Better yet, turn the sun off." Cecil complained, walking into the room with one hand cradling his silver head, "What happened last night?"

"I'll tell you next week when I've had a chance to watch the footage for myself." Tora replied, gently smoothing some of Squall's hair away from his face. Everyone who was half-awake was now fully awake at that statement.

What footage?

=^w^=

**1: Warrior of Light. **


	10. The Balancer of Cosmos

_**-Drops of Dissidia-**_

_**-A collection of 'Dissidia: Final Fantasy' drabbles-**_

=^w^=

Part Ten: The Balancer of Cosmos

Order's Sanctuary was peaceful when Cecil walked forward to the altar, clad in his Dark Knight armour. Reaching up to his neck, he removed the Summonstone for the messenger of Cosmos and placed it upon the altar, closing his eyes behind his visor and concentrating all his efforts on summoning.

"Cecil? Why are you in your Dark Knight armour?"

Opening his eyes, Cecil could see Tora standing in front of him, her white robe missing and her hair loose. She looked much younger than she normally appeared whenever she was summoned to aid his fellow warriors in battle. Sitting down on the altar, the Cosmos messenger ran a hand through the long two-colour strands and petted the stone beside her.

"There's room here for two." she said. The Dark Knight shook his head.

"I do not deserve to sit next to you." he said. Gold eyes widened.

"You doubt your place in the surviving warriors." Cecil snapped his head back to Tora, who had leaned back and crossed her legs at the ankle. Her statement was just that; a statement, not a question. The Dark Knight sank to his knees and stared at his hands.

"I am corrupted..." he breathed, "I do not deserve to call myself a warrior of Cosmos. I have been tainted by the Darkness." A bright light flashed past his eyes for a millisecond, and he blinked when he realised he was staring at his armour-free hands. Looking up, he saw Tora kneeling in front of him, one hand on his shoulder.

Her magic must've changed him from Dark Knight to Paladin.

"Cosmos wouldn't have chosen you if you were corrupted," she said softly, "It's the balance within your heart that you were chosen for. You have experiences within both extremes no-one else has, something you can instruct the others on when they are confronted with similar experiences."

"Why?" Cecil gazed into her gold eyes, searching for an explanation. Tora removed her hand, and his Dark armour covered his body again.

"Like I said, you have a balance within you. What you've been blinded with is nothing but sheer stupidity; it's causing you to become cowardly and unjustified in your actions. When Light and Darkness meet, it often ends rather badly for both sides. You've found a way to make them both co-exist alongside each other," She placed her hand on his shoulder again, "Treasure your gift, Cecil. There is no such thing as pure Light, just like there is no such thing as pure Darkness; something has to be created from something else in order for it to exist. Wherever Light exists, so too will Darkness. You're living proof of that." Leaning forward, the Cosmos messenger wrapped the Paladin in her arms and gave him a squeeze, moving away and smiling. Cecil stood and offered her a small smile in return.

"Thank you, Tora. You are amazingly wise beyond your years." he said. Tora giggled.

"I prefer to call it 'a stroke of spontaneous wisdom' but I can go with that. Just remember that you are the Balancer of Cosmos; Light and Darkness meet within you and form a harmony that not even Chaos can break." In a flash of white light, she disappeared. Picking up his Summonstone, Cecil turned and began walking away from the altar.

He hadn't even noticed that he was still in his Paladin armour.

=^w^=


	11. Phone Call: AU

_**-Drops of Dissidia-**_

_**-A collection of 'Dissidia: Final Fantasy' drabbles-**_

=^w^=

Part Eleven: Phone Call (AU)

'_It's the eye of the tiger, it's the thrill of the fight-"_

"Altona."

"Hi, Tora! Listen, can you come and get me?"

"Where are you and what have you done, Zidane?"

"I haven't done anything! ...yet."

"Case closed. You didn't answer the first part of my question."

"I'm at the library. Luneth said he had to meet Cloud at the mall so he's left me on my little lonesome!"

"Alright, I'll come and get you. Oh, and Zidane?"

"Yeah, Tora?"

"Change my ring tone on me again and I'll tell Garnet about your little 'adventure' with the lawn mower last week."

"Yes, ma'am!"

_CLICK._

"She wouldn't...would she?"

=^w^=

'_They call me the wild rose, but my name was-"_

"Hello?"

"Hi Firion, it's Tora."

"I'm wondering where you are right about now. The movie starts in half an hour."

"I'm currently playing a town-wide game of hide-and-seek with Cecil on Wol's orders, all because he's currently occupied at the garage thanks to a busted fan belt in his car."

"Will you be able to meet me in time for the movie?"

"Of course, Firion. I'm not going to boycott this date with you for Wol."

"Alright. I'll see you soon, Tora."

"Bye."

_CLICK._

"Please hurry...my white rose."

=^w^=

'_Hold now, aim is steady, another world awaits you. One thousand years – hey, Tidus here. Leave your message and I'll get back to ya soon!'_

"For the love of Gaia Tidus, you can_not_ be busy now, of all times! Jecht just rang me and abused me because _apparently_ you're supposed to have met him at the arena fifteen minutes ago! Whatever you're doing with whomever you're with...cut it out. I'll come and get you as soon as my date with Firion is over; let's pray to Ifrit that you actually get your ass over there before I finish."

_CLICK._

"Actually, let's not; I get the feeling I'm going to need stress relief when this day is over..."

=^w^=

'_In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the lion sleeps-"_

"Bartz, leave my ring tone alone!"

"Sorry, Squall. Anyway, because you can drive and I can't, can you please pick me and Zidane up from the mall?"

"...why?"

"I just gave you a reason!"

"Why were you at the mall?"

"Zidane wanted to hang out with Garnet but she was working and Faris chased me away from Lenna, so we were bored and found Cloud and Luneth."

"Enough said...did you try Tora?"

"She's busy chaperoning everybody else in her car. Please, Squall? I got you a present!"

"...I'll be there in ten minutes."

"Yay! Thanks Squall!"

"Bye."

_CLICK._

"If it's another cat-related thing I am going to hurt him."

=^w^=

'_It's the eye of the tiger, it's the thrill of the fight, rising up to the – Tora Altona here, obviously I missed your call so leave your message and I'll see what I can do.'_

"It's Sephiroth. Your stepbrother just arrived and he's attempting to use the kitchen. Come back and stop him. _Now_.

"On another note, you got mail today."

_CLICK._

"There isn't enough people in the world for my current level of stress..."

=^w^=

'_Alone I travel through the wasteland in my heart, as the-'_

"Strife speaking."

"Thank Gaia! Firion just called me; Tora's having a meltdown and there's no processed form of sugar in her house."

"In other words you want me to go get her something to calm her down."

"Only you can do it, Cloud. Please?"

"Tidus, listen to me very carefully. In Sephiroth's room there is a loose floorboard and underneath it is his stash of Materia jawbreakers. Take one of them and give it to Tora."

"...Sephiroth has a sweet tooth?"

"Don't tell him I told you or else I'll be hurting in the morning."

"I won't. Thanks Cloud!"

"I'll come by later with Terra and Luneth with something else."

"Later, Boko."

_CLICK._

"Damn you, Bartz..."

=^w^=

_**MINI-DISCLAIMER: The songs are and belong to, in order: 'Eye of the Tiger' – Survivor – 'Where the Wild Roses Grow' – Kylie Minogue and Nick Cave – 'Otherworld' – Rammstein – 'The Lion Sleeps Tonight' – Paul Simon – and 'Forever Walking Alone' – Nobuo Uematsu.**_


	12. 589: Hug A Lion

_**-Drops of Dissidia-**_

_**-A collection of 'Dissidia: Final Fantasy' drabbles-**_

=^w^=

Part Twelve: 589: Hug A Lion

"SAVE US, TORA!"

"FOR THE LOVE OF COSMOS, HELP US!"

It was rare for someone to summon her outside of a battle, but that didn't mean that it didn't happen either. Sighing, Tora watched the mime and the master thief tearing up the ground as they ran toward her, chased by what appeared to be an irate lion. Within seconds, Bartz and Zidane had taken refuge underneath her white robe, shaking like leaves during a windstorm.

"What have you guys done to Squall this time?" the messenger sighed finally.

"We hugged him." Bartz replied.

"...repeat that?"

"We hugged Squall and now he wants to hurt us." Zidane explained. Said lion stopped a few feet from the trio, his grey eyes practically burning holes through Tora to reach the two huddled behind her for safety.

'_When this is all over, I think I'll cut Zidane's tail off,'_ Tora thought as she felt said appendage creep along the backs of her thighs. Ignoring the shudder, she faced the irate lion.

"Are you really that opposed to having no personal space?" she asked him.

"Just hand them over, Tora, and I won't hurt you." Squall hissed through gritted teeth. In a billowing of her robe, Tora appeared in front of the eighth Cosmos warrior and stood still, one hand on his Gunblade. It wasn't a small action, but it was enough to inform Squall that he should really calm down before she makes him.

The results weren't pleasant; he'd seen what happened to Cloud once.

"No-one wants you to fight alone," The mercenary snapped his head back to the messenger, "Bartz and Zidane are there to remind you of that in their own special way. In that way, I think Cosmos deliberately put you three together." Lifting her arms, Tora wrapped them around Squall's waist and gently squeezed. Squall stood stock still, his brain currently derailed from the little statement the messenger had given.

"Guys," She turned to the petrified fifth and ninth Cosmos warriors, "_That's_ how you hug a lion." With that, she disappeared in a flash of white light.

"I am never washing this thing again..." the thief sighed happily as he gently stroked his tail. Bartz stood up and stared at Squall, who was still in a state of shock. Walking over, he got in one quick squeeze before the lion became irate again.

"Time to go look for the others." the mime squeaked, grabbing the ninth Cosmos warrior by his collar and air dashing away.

"BARTZ, GET BACK HERE!"

=^w^=


	13. Honey Bee: AU

_**-Drops of Dissidia-**_

_**-A collection of 'Dissidia: Final Fantasy' drabbles-**_

=^w^=

Part Thirteen: Honey Bee (AU)

Sephiroth was busy filing some old photographs when Tora came home, depositing her keys on the small end table beside the door and unceremoniously throwing her bag underneath it. The silver-haired attorney didn't look up as she fell forward onto the couch, letting out a loud groan as she fell which made her sound like an old tree toppling over.

But then again, the old saying does ask if a tree makes a noise, so let's pretend it does.

"Who are you going to kill today?" he finally asked.

"Zidane..." Her voice was muffled, but Sephiroth could understand Muffle; living with Tora had made him fluent in it, "Him and his freaking brother."

"Kuja isn't that bad."

"Have you ever been stuck with both him _and_ Zidane in a cramped space for more than half an hour?"

"The elevator broke again."

"Two hours later, the damn thing works again!" Lifting her head from the pillow, Tora's anger immediately subsided when she saw the photographs littering the table, "What are you doing?"

"I'm trying to make some space in my image collection for the order I have coming in from you." The photographer blinked, then made an 'oh' sound; so _that_ was who the order was for...

"Can I help?" she asked.

Sephiroth shrugged. "Sure." Sitting next to him, Tora grabbed a bunch of images and, by studying the groups already laid out in front of her, began to sort the images into the correct groups. Half an hour passed in silence, the only other movement being made was Sephiroth getting up to make coffee for the both of them.

"Hey Sephiroth," The silver-haired attorney sat down as Tora held up a photograph, "Who's this?"

"That would be Cloud." Tora was glad she hadn't picked up her coffee yet. Blinking, she stared at the photograph a little longer.

"Was...alcohol involved in that?" she choked out after a while of imitating a fish.

"No."

"So how did you get this?"

"One of his friends gave it to me. Apparently it was a dare."

"Wait, I recognise that place he's in front of. Do you mind if I make a copy of this image? I need to get Cloud back for the time he made me pick up an inebriated Cecil and Firion all because he 'supposedly' had a flat tyre."

"Of course."

=^w^=

Cloud walked into Tora's camera shop the next day carrying a large black camera, the case dangling over his left shoulder. Walking up to the counter, he placed the camera on it and rang the small bell.

"Ow...damn it all – OW!" Tora emerged from the back room a few seconds later, cradling her left arm, "Oh, hello Honey Bee." The blond froze.

"I need a new lens for this thing." he said, ignoring the nickname. Tora picked up the camera and studied it for a few seconds, turning it on and off to measure its workability.

"Hm, I'd say go for a forty-millimetre one. It'll give you the _prettiest_ pictures." she replied, smirking slightly. The fear Cloud felt a few seconds ago returned tenfold as soon as some of the photographer's teeth revealed themselves through her smirk. She _couldn't_ know about that time when he –

"By the way, you can have this on the house." Reaching into her pocket, Tora slid the photograph along the counter and nearly fell over laughing at the stunned expression on the blond's face.

"Where'd you get this?" Cloud asked quietly.

"I can't tell you that, but I'll tell you this..." Here she leaned over to his ear, making Cloud flinch.

"You make a really convincing girl."

The image of him in a long purple dress and wig was never going to go away...

=^w^=

**Author's Note: The temptation was too great to pass up, but I didn't want to do an in-game drabble with this. **


	14. Harmony vs Hope

_**-Drops Of Dissidia-**_

_**-A collection of 'Dissidia: Final Fantasy' drabbles-**_

=^w^=

Part Fourteen: Harmony vs. Hope

Cosmos sighed and turned around to face away from the altar, spying the gold-eyed youth behind her who was giving her an incredulous look. Tora continued to stare at the goddess of harmony with wide eyes, as if to say that she'd grown three heads and a tail.

"Please tell me you can't be serious..." the messenger said after a while of imitating a fish, "I don't want to believe it."

"Unfortunately, it is the only way." Cosmos replied sadly, turning back around.

"That's a lie! Collectively, they fight for you, Cosmos! By assigning them this fate you are ultimately destroying their trust of you!"

"The world is harsh, Tora. We cannot continue to delude ourselves by living within the safety of our convictions."

"So by resigning yourself to your fate, you're just going to let everything fall to ruin?" The goddess turned her head, "You are the goddess of harmony! I may act as your runner between you and the ten survivors, but I happen to know that they all burn with a light that will defeat Chaos and restore the harmony to the world!" Tora was furious, her fists clenched and her eyes blazing, "I know the world is a cruel place, but by fighting our demons we make it tolerable and worthy for us to live in."

"Does that really make everything better?" Cosmos rounded on her messenger, a slight fire in her eyes, "Can we really rid ourselves of our burdens by fighting them?"

"I said 'tolerable', not 'better'. And just because we fight away a burden it doesn't mean that the choice of fighting it isn't a burden in itself. I fight alongside your warriors because I know that they shine with a hope nothing, not even Chaos, can break. They didn't choose this fate; none of us did. But we're going to end this, despite your resigning."

"Tora..." Taking a step forward, Cosmos stopped as Tora took a step away from her.

"I fight because I want to keep hope alive. Light cannot exist without Darkness, just like Darkness cannot exist without Light; they feed off each other and form a harmony that I thought you would be more than willing to advocate for." The metal circlet around the messenger's head flashed, "Looks like someone wants me. Hopefully by the time I return I will have cooled off and we can discuss this a little more civilly." With one final sad look, Tora disappeared in a flash of white light.

'_I am sorry, Tora,'_ Cosmos thought, sitting down on her altar in Order's Sanctuary, _'You believe passionately in your convictions, but will that be enough to save you all?'_

=^w^=

**Author's Note: ...is it just me, or is Cosmos a little bit of a bitch for letting herself be killed by Chaos? I mean, she had ten people fighting for her and she goes and dies on them; that's a little selfish, if you ask me.**

=^w^=


	15. Laguna: AU

_**-Drops of Dissidia-**_

_**-A collection of 'Dissidia: Final Fantasy' drabbles-**_

=^w^=

**Author's Note: Wow, two in one day? I'm on a freaking roll! :D Anyway, have a taste of a character to (SPOILER!) appear in 'Disssida: Duo Decim'. **

=^w^=

Part Fifteen: Laguna (AU)

The man had been staring at the same camera cards for the past fifteen minutes, and it was really weirding her out. Not to say people _didn't_ stare at them; memory cards for cameras sometimes took people _hours_ to work out. Half the time they only needed a 512MB card, anyway; holiday snaps, mostly.

Tora had to get to the bottom of this.

Emerging from behind the counter (and pausing her cleaning of Kuja's camera), she approached the man from the side with her hands clasped. "Is there anything I can help you with, sir?"

"Hm?" He turned grey-green eyes to the photographer, "Oh no, I'm just browsing."

"Well, if there's anything you need, just come to the front counter." That said, Tora returned to the counter and began to clean the owner of the Alexandria Theatre Company's camera again. How the hell did Kuja manage to get _face paint_ into the shutter release?

"Excuse me miss," The photographer looked up at the man from earlier, "I couldn't help but notice you'd dropped this on your way back." In his hand was the photographer's cell phone.

Tora went red with embarrassment. "I'm so sorry, sir! I thought it was still in my pocket."

The man handed it back with a grin. "That's alright. May I ask how you know Squall?"

"How did you know I –"

"You'd missed a call from him." Looking down at the device in her hand, Tora saw that she had indeed missed a call from the brunet, "Anyway, my question?"

"I know Squall because he's friends with my partner Bartz," the photographer replied, "May I ask how you know him?"

"He's my son."

...well, _that_ was certainly surprising.

"I see. I'm Tora Altona; I own this camera shop and I'm also a professional photographer." Holding out her hand, the man shook it, a wide smile on his face.

"Laguna Loire. I'm the mayor of a little town called Winhill." he said. Grinning back, Tora looked up at the clock hanging just over the section of her shop filled with various brands of disposable cameras, seeing the time to be twelve-thirty.

"Would you like to join me for lunch, Laguna? Coincidentally I was meeting your son and my partner today, but I'm sure that they wouldn't mind if you came along." she said, locking up the front counter and register to prevent thieves from breaking in. Laguna nodded eagerly and waited for the photographer to lock up her shop and grab her purse before walking outside, watching her hang up an 'Out To Lunch, Be Back At 1:00' sign on the door.

"Where are we headed?" he asked.

"A little cafe called Cocoon. They do a great lunch menu." Tora replied, leading the mayor to her car.

=^w^=

"Table up the back. Apparently you're having the fish and chips for two."

"Thanks, Fang." The woman serving nodded politely, and Tora led Laguna through the crowded cafe. It was quaint, but at the same time it was perfect for small get-togethers and catch-ups for coffee. Weaving through the patrons, the photographer spotted the table Fang had mentioned and waved when she saw Bartz waving back.

"Hi, guys!" Leaning down, Tora pressed a kiss to his cheek, "This is Laguna."

"Hi there, I'm Bartz!" the events planner said, shaking the mayor's outstretched hand. Squall just sat frozen in his seat, waiting for the inevitable –

"SQUALL!"

Laguna practically flew over the table and enveloped the brunet in a crusher hug, grinning like a March hare. Tora sat beside her boyfriend and watched the interaction – most of which was Squall trying to pry his father off him and Laguna trying to keep hold – with a smile on her face.

"It's nice to see a family back together." she sighed, biting back a giggle.

"_It's been so long..."_

"_Damn it Laguna, people are watching!"_

"Kinda reminds me of what me and Zidane do to Squall..." Bartz said, linking hands with his girlfriend under the table. Tora nodded, then suddenly burst out laughing.

"_Oh damn, now Tora's laughing." _

"_Come on, one more hug won't hurt." _

"_GET. OFF. ME!" _

"_Squall..." _

=^w^=

**Author's Note #1: Does Laguna have grey-green eyes or not? I looked for reference through DeviantArt and Google, but they were inconclusive. **

**Author's Note #2: Yes, 'Final Fantasy XIII' shows up. Why? Because I couldn't think of anywhere else to have a coffee shop and I hadn't written with them yet. Besides, doesn't 'Cocoon Cafe' sound cute?**

=^w^=


	16. Heart To Heart

_**-Drops of Dissidia-**_

_**-A collection of 'Dissidia: Final Fantasy' drabbles-**_

=^w^=

Part Sixteen: Heart To Heart

Dream's End was _supposed_ to be empty.

"Let me go right now!"

"Nah, I think I'll keep you for a while." Tora growled at the scarred man in front of her and struggled wildly against her restraints tying her to the large stone sword in the centre of the area. Jecht stood in front of her with his mismatched arms folded, a calculating look on his face, "You might be able to tell me something."

"If it's about Tidus, I have no clue where he is." the messenger replied, "It's not my job to keep tabs on them; it's my job to keep them alive."

"How do I know you're not lying to me?"

"That's part of the job description, too." Jecht snorted derisively and raised his large black sword, slicing through Tora's bindings effortlessly. She sank to the ground, slumping against the stone sword to catch her breath from all that struggling.

"You're supposed to have a heap of information, right?" Gold eyes looked up at the tenth Chaos villain, "You think you can help me with something?"

"After that little display?" The messenger sighed and patted the ground beside her, "Sure, I got time." Jecht sat beside her, his sword lying prone beside him. Looking up at the sky, he spent a few minutes collecting his thoughts before he voiced them, anxious about what the Cosmos messenger would say. Tora watched him think, a confused expression on her face; was he _really_ that bad at expressing himself he had to _think_ about it?

"So what's on your mind?" she asked finally.

"This whole...thing...we're caught in. I would've been happy beating the hell outta Tidus back in our own world, so I guess my question is...why are we here?" the scarred man finally asked.

Tora blinked. "You're asking a philosophical question?"

"I'm sick of meaningless fighting. Half the time I go out and pick a fight with your brats because I'm bored." That explained why people kept talking about Jecht around a fire recently, "I'm getting tired of the same routine."

"See, that's something I can't exactly help you with. I don't know why I'm here, either; all I know is that I have a job to do and I need to see it through to the end."

"To the end, huh?" Jecht turned his gaze to the messenger, "What are you gonna do at the end?" Tora stayed silent, contemplating his question with a thoughtful look on her face.

Eventually she looked at him. "I've never given it a moment of thought before. I guess...if the world permits me...I'll go home. But if not, then...hm, I really don't know." The tenth Chaos villain nodded.

"Sounds like you've got it planned. You think you'll ever want to come back?"

"Of course I'd want to come back." That surprised him, "This whole...conflict...has taught me so much about myself that I didn't even know I had within me. Sure, there are some things I regret, but hopefully by coming back I can make some better choices."

"Hmph, do you keep that hope bottled up somewhere or do you just spout it out all the time?"

"It's what I advocate; as long as you have a hope, you have a reason to fight." Jecht shrugged and looked down at his hands, thinking about what Tora had just said. Having a hope means having a reason to fight...Stretching upward, he groaned as the muscles in his shoulders and back elongated then contracted, then leaned back against the sword.

"You wanna hear Tidus' hope?" He shrugged again, "He wants to prove to you how strong he's become."

The Chaos villain snorted. "I'd pay to see that. He's just a kid and a crybaby; what good is this gonna do for him?"

"You'll be surprised where people learn about themselves." Jecht immediately sat up and looked over at Tora, who was standing up and brushing dirt from her robe, both front and back. She shot a smile at the scarred man before walking forward a few steps, then turning and tossing him something.

Catching it, he looked down. "What is it?"

"Hope for you." As the Cosmos messenger disappeared in a flash of white light, Jecht slipped the tear-shaped crystal into his pocket and stood up, picking up his sword and walking away from Dream's End.

Their little 'talk' had struck more of his heartstrings than what he thought should be allowed. After all, she was technically the enemy.

=^w^=


	17. Carbuncle: AU

_**-Drops Of Dissidia-**_

_**-A collection of 'Dissidia: Final Fantasy' drabbles-**_

=^w^=

Part Seventeen: Carbuncle (AU)

Terra sighed and closed the door to the cat's quarters, watching it try to lick at its belly stitches through the plastic cone the veterinarian had fastened on. The poor thing had been attacked by a dog in one of the outer suburbs of the town and had suffered deep lacerations to its stomach and back from the dog's teeth.

If the woman who had rescued the cat had called a few minutes later, Terra would've been beside herself.

"Terra!" The animal rescuer looked up as she heard Tora call her name, "I came to see how the Carbuncle that was rescued the other week is doing."

"It's doing just fine! If, by fine, you mean 'biting the fingers of everyone who tries to touch it', then it's fine." she replied, leading the photographer into another room of sick and injured animals, stopping at a door that separated a fluffy blue creature with a jewel in the centre of its head from its freedom. It crooned weakly when it saw the two women outside, lifting its head up slightly to see what was going on.

"It's really fluffy," Terra said as she opened the door, "but it's a shame it doesn't like contact from people."

"Reminds me of a certain someone we know..." Tora replied, hiding her slight cringe as brown hair and a facial scar flashed through her mind's eye. The Carbuncle pulled itself toward the open door with its front paws, sticking its nose into the photographer's dark blue windcheater and making an odd purring sound.

"Terra, get me something for it to eat." The animal rescuer quickly retrieved a handful of dry biscuits from the food container beside its water bowl and tipped some of them into Tora's hand. Stretching it forward, she offered it to the Carbuncle. It looked at the food, then up at the photographer expectantly.

"Well, I'm not going to eat it," she said, "It's not made for me." Seemingly happy with that answer, the pale blue creature tentatively nibbled on one of the biscuits. Terra and Tora's eyes widened when the Carbuncle suddenly let out a loud croon and flung itself at the photographer, wrapping itself around her neck and staying there like a fluffy collar.

"...wow." Tora managed through the pale blue creature nuzzling the underside of her jaw.

"I think you've found a new friend, Tora..." Terra said softly, blinking at it. Tora groaned quietly.

"Great, now I'm going to have to let Sephiroth know that I've got a new pet, but he's in court until lunchtime," An idea suddenly formed, "I'll just leave him a message and he can get it later."

=^w^=

'_Estuans interius, ira vehementi, estuans interius, ira vehementi – just leave your message.' _

"Hiya Sephiroth! _Kyuu! _Ruby, be quiet; the district attorney doesn't need to know that you're a Carbuncle and that you'll be living with us. _Kyuu... _I know sweetie, I'm sorry; I'll find you something when we go home. Anyway I'll keep your lunch in the oven for you, Seph; I made wedges." _CLICK._

Sephiroth pocketed his phone and checked the hallway before letting out a rather uncharacteristic groan. "A Carbuncle...a fluffy animal that's going to _love_ her but _hate_ me."

If only he knew...

=^w^=

**Author's Note: Come on, as if there's no-one who reads these that doesn't want a Carbuncle. They're just the **_**cutest**_**!**


	18. Unlikely 'Ally'

_**-Drops of Dissidia-**_

_**-A collection of 'Dissidia: Final Fantasy' drabbles-**_

=^w^=

Part Eighteen: Unlikely 'Ally'

'_And Cosmos wonders why I hate being sent into enemy territory...'_

Backflipping as chunks of ice were hurled in her direction, Tora straightened up and watched Kefka charge up his Trine attack. Pale blue triangles materialised around her person, closing in at an alarming rate. The messenger growled and waited until the last minute before raising her shield to protect herself.

"No fair! No fair!" Kefka cried, stamping his feet, "Kittens like you are supposed to be cowering in the corner, not scratching at everything I throw at them!"

"Perhaps you didn't get the memo, clown; I'm a tiger!" She launched a powerful fire attack straight at the sixth Chaos villain, hitting him square in the chest and pushing him off the crystal tower he stood on. Kefka quickly righted himself and watched as bolts of lightning closed in around him, exploding the minute they got close enough and sent him skyrocketing.

"Leave me alone," Tora hissed the minute he landed in front of her, "and go pick on someone of your own type...whatever that is."

"But I'm enjoying playing with the kitten so much...and I'm afraid our game must come to an end." Havoc Wing suddenly surged forward from the clown, piercing Tora's defence and pushing her backward over the edge of the large crystal plateau and onto a smaller platform below. Staggering to her feet, the messenger grabbed at her staff and rolled away as Kefka's foot tried to plant itself into her back.

"Run amok!"

A large blue fireball raced past the two fighters, catching the clown and blowing him high into the air. As Kefka came down, he glared at the person responsible for the attack. "How dare you! I was having fun!"

"The messenger is not to be trifled with." The Emperor stepped forward, his haughty air making Tora roll her eyes, "She means no harm."

"She started it!" Kefka cried, "She wandered into this territory!"

"That does not permit a fight, Kefka. Your quarry is still out there." Shooting one more contemptuous glance at the messenger, the sixth Chaos villain disappeared in a bending-of-the-light trick.

Tora stood up and brushed off her robe. "I suppose _you_ want to have a go now?"

"No. I stand by what I said; you are not to be trifled with." the second Chaos villain replied.

"Oh, so am I part of a grander scheme you're setting up with your evil buddies at the Old Chaos Shrine?"

"Who told you that?"

"It was a stereotypical question, but now that you've said that I think I'm inclined to run for it before I ask more about it and get fried to a crisp."

The Emperor chuckled. "You are a spirited woman, messenger. I'm sure many men have fallen victim to your deceptive beauty and sharp wit."

"Okay, one: my name is Tora. Two: what I do with my heart is none of your business because you'll never have it. Three: take your hand off my chin before I blast you away." The royal in front of her smirked and tilted her chin up so he could stare at her glowing gold eyes, which had narrowed when he'd touched her. Releasing the grip he had on her, he gently patted her back with the base of his lance twice.

"Off you go...Tora," he said mockingly, "And do announce yourself next time you come to visit."

"I didn't do it last time, what makes you think it's going to change?" As the Cosmos messenger laughed and disappeared in her trademark white light, The Emperor growled a little; so _that's_ who Sephiroth must've seen at their last meeting...

=^w^=


	19. Auto Correct: AU

_**-Drops Of Dissidia-**_

_**-A collection of 'Dissidia: Final Fantasy' drabbles-**_

=^w^=

**Before We Begin #1: I've gone back to FirionOC because Bartz sees Squall more often that Firion does. That's the only reason I used Bartz in the last AU drabble; no-one else fitted, not even Zidane. **

**Before We Begin #2: I wasn't going to post this until I finished Part Twenty, but because today's my birthday I can make exceptions. Happy birthday to me! :D**

=^w^=

Part Nineteen: Auto Correct (AU)

_DING DONG._

"I'll get it." Squall padded through the apartment to the front door and opened it, "Tora."

"I'm told you recently acquired a new phone and have absolutely no idea how to use it." the photographer replied, "Bartz rang me to ask if I could have a look at it."

"Why did he ask you to – right, technology degree." Stepping aside, the detective let Tora into the apartment and closed the door behind her, stepping over his work boots and heading into the small kitchen to make drinks. Tora fumbled her way through several blankets on the floor of the living room, calling out a "Hi Zidane!" which earned her a "Hi Tora!", and sat down on the couch, which smelled as if a bout of fresh air would kill it. Picking up one of the books on the coffee table, she read the title, quirked an eyebrow, then replaced it.

"Sorry about the state of the place. It was Zidane's turn to clean last week." Squall called.

"You guys need a roster or something to stick to so that you can have a sense of order around the place," Tora said as she was handed a cup of coffee, "That way you know whose job is when and what you guys are assigned."

"...you've been living with Sephiroth for too long haven't you?"

"The man is an addict for order, enough said." Rolling her eyes, the photographer took the box from the detective and opened it, the gleaming new phone sitting neatly in its packaging surrounded by various cords she assumed would connect to various systems installed into the phone. Lifting it out of the box, Tora turned it about carefully in her hands then pulled from the box the instruction manual.

"This button turns it on and off," She pointed to the red 'End Call' button, "and because it's a touch screen you need to press this button to lock and unlock it." She pointed to a button on the side of the phone with a small picture of a padlock on it. Squall nodded and took the phone from Tora, pressing the 'End Call' button and watching as the screen flared to life.

"Now what?" he asked when the menu had finished loading.

"Tap the envelope symbol with your finger and that will open your message bank. From there you can receive, send and delete your messages. No, that's your phonebook. But while you're there I'll teach you to add and delete contacts so you don't have to worry too much." The next half an hour was spent productively (in Squall's opinion). So far he'd saved Cloud's, Luneth's, Zidane's, Bartz's and Firion's numbers into his phone and would add their work details later.

For some reason, Tora looked like she was going to get a migraine in the near future...

'_It's the eye of the tiger, it's the thrill of the fight, rising up to the challenge of our rivals...'_

"Great, just when I was going to teach you to create a message..." Tora pulled her own phone from her pocket and examined the caller ID, "Squall, can you fiddle about with your messages for a few seconds? It's Firion and I really need to take this call."

"Use the kitchen." the detective replied, catching the hopeful look in the photographer's gold eyes. The minute she'd left, Squall frowned and looked down at the gadget in his hands, "Okay, time to test this thing..." Opening up a new message, he typed in a familiar number then sent his message:

'_Sup bartz?'_

Within seconds he received a reply.

'_Nm. u?'_

'_Just banging with tora. shes teaching me to use my new phone'_

'_...hope rosebud doesnt find out ur banging his gf'_

Squall groaned. _'i meant hanging!'_

'_sure u did irate lion'_

"Alright, that's my night organised," Tora returned to the living room and raised an eyebrow at Squall's strangely red face, "Did you discover auto-correct?"

"Yes..." The photographer bit her lip to keep her laughter at bay while Squall pressed the button on the side of his phone to lock it. This was going to make for some _interesting_ dinner conversation between the two of them later...

=^w^=

**Author's Note: I, myself, haven't got a touch screen phone – I need to do my corrections manually because I have a keyboard thing – but from what I've read on the Internet this sort of mistake occurs often. Trust Squall to discover it on the first day of having a new phone. **


	20. Angel's Wings

_**-Drops Of Dissidia-**_

_**-A collection of 'Dissidia: Final Fantasy' drabbles-**_

=^w^=

Part Twenty: Angel's Wings

From her vantage point with Cosmos, Tora liked to study the ten Cosmos warriors and determine the types of wings they'd have if they were of the seraphim variety of people.

The Warrior of Light would have shining white wings of feathers, wide and powerful just like the light itself. They would wrap around those who sought his protection and protect them from the darkness, just like he sees the light in people and tries to protect them from themselves.

Firion would have mottled white feather wings, the mottle being a deep red like the rose he carries with him. He would use his wings to serve justice to those who dared to oppress his dreams and his hopes, just like he stands up for what he believes in regardless of the situation.

Onion Knight would have small feather wings of a pale gold, proportional to his body but at just the right length to assist in his fighting. He would use them wisely and try his hardest to protect everyone with them, just like he fights with his brain and tries to protect Terra from herself.

Cecil's wings would alter between a feathery white and a leathery black depending on whether or not he was using light or darkness. He would use them to defend the honour of his fellow comrades and those he holds dear, just like he protects the younger members of the group and his brother.

Bartz's wings would be white and leathery, perfect for adventuring long distances the way he loves to do. He would use them to travel around and as a form of defence in battle, just like he travels around with Zidane and Squall and keeps his enemies back with his mimicry.

Terra's wings would be a feathery grey, a way of reflecting her inner turmoil and unsure feelings about her person. She would use them to make her attacks more powerful, just like she believes in herself and her powers to make herself stronger.

Cloud's wings would be a leathery greenish-blue, mimicking his eyes and demonstrating the power that the mako in his body gave him. He would use them to cover his true intentions and strike quickly, just like he masks his true feelings and strikes the enemy when they least expect it.

Squall's wings would be black and feathery, longer than they would be wide and perfect for combinations. He would use them to streamline his attacks and make himself stand out from the rest of the group, just like he does in his own lonely way whenever he thinks about his situation.

Zidane's wings would be small and leathery, dirty gold in colour and fitted close to his back to allow for freedom of movement. He would use them to aid his aerial combinations and to quicken his footwork, just like he does whenever he treats his battles like a game.

Tidus' wings would be tattered and feathery, the palest of blues just like the sky that sprawls above them. He would use them to dart about the battlefield to evade his opponents and to soar through the skies with ease, just like he would if he was at home with his friends.

_Yeah,_ Tora thought as she felt the pull of being summoned tugging at her head, _these guys really are seraphim...shame I can't say the same about myself. _

=^w^=

**Author's Note: I'm writing a story on how the Cosmos warriors were introduced to Tora and how she became their messenger, so bear with me if I make references you don't understand. **


	21. Strawberry Rose: AU

_**-Drops Of Dissidia-**_

_**-A collection of 'Dissidia: Final Fantasy' drabbles-**_

=^w^=

Part Twenty-One: Strawberry Rose

Helping Tora babysit a foster child of her older sister's was not really the way Firion envisioned spending his weekend with his partner, but he should be grateful; he was spending time with her, something that he hardly got to do in between her work as a photographer and his work as a landscape designer.

Besides, it meant that they could sit together and watch movies. Cheesy, but Firion prided himself on romance.

"Leah, I'm about to put _Bleach_ on!" Tora called through Rune's house, opening said DVD case and turning on the player. Small footsteps thundered down the hallway, and said eight year old appeared in the living room looking very flustered and ragged, a sheepish looking Firion following close behind covered in squiggles of various colours.

"I made Firion pretty!" exclaimed Leah, pointing to the landscape designer, "He looks like a flower now!"

"He sure does, honey. Would you like to grab your bean bag and find a spot to sit?"As Leah ran past toward the cupboard where her bean bag was kept, Tora sauntered to her partner and ran a finger over one of the squiggles, "She found my watercolour paints."

"It was either that or the black permanent marker you left on the desk." he replied, leaning forward and kissing her quickly before Leah could exclaim about cooties or other eight-year-old nonsense.

"Well, you look very pretty anyway." Taking her partner's hand, the photographer led Firion to the couch where they both got comfortable so that Leah could watch some episodes of her favourite anime. The opening credits rolled, and soon the trio were comfortable in watching Ichigo fight his latest enemy, whether it be a new Hollow or another Arrancar.

As Ichigo began to speak again, Leah turned to Firion. "Why are you Ichigo?" she asked. Both Firion and Tora stared at the girl as if she'd just grown an extra head, but Leah's statement didn't surprise Tora; she'd heard one too many tales from Rune about the girl saying things like that at inopportune times.

"I'm sorry, Leah?" the landscape designer asked.

"You sound like Ichigo, Firion."

"You know..." Firion looked at Tora, who had her head resting on his shoulder, "she's right."

"Ha! Told you so!"

"Leah!" a voice sang from the front door. As the girl ran to greet her foster mother after three hours of absence, the two on the couch stood up and prepared to make their leave.

"Do I really sound like that strawberry?" Firion asked. Tora kissed his cheek and took his hand as they left the house.

"Yeah, you do." she replied.

=^w^=

**Author's Note: If you can guess what my inspiration was for this drabble, I'll give you a virtual high five. **


	22. Not In Vain

_**-Drops Of Dissidia-**_

_**-A collection of 'Dissidia: Final Fantasy' drabbles-**_

=^w^=

**Before We Begin: To clear up any confusion from Part Fourteen. **

=^w^=

Part Twenty-Two: Not In Vain

The skies above Order's Sanctuary darkened considerably, lightning ripping the stone-grey clouds apart as if they were made of paper. Tora sat on the altar and pulled her robe tighter around her body, the wind having suddenly gotten chillier with the announcement of the death of the goddess of harmony. Ten voices filled her head all crying out for help, but the messenger could do nothing but cover her ears and cringe with the pain of listening to them all.

"If I could, I would..." she hissed through the blinding pain behind her eyes, "Please Cosmos, tell me you have something planned now..." Her vision suddenly went black and she watched each warrior fade into the darkness, Exdeath and Kefka watching on and laughing with an evil mirth. Growling, Tora tried to stand from the altar and move forward but the darkness she saw made that a little difficult, tripping down the stairs and landing in the water face down.

"Good grief..."

A flash of light suddenly forced the darkness and pain away, and gold eyes looked up at the ten crystals of the warriors revolving in the air above her. Each of them gave off a powerful light that pushed back the dark clouds and ripping lightning, returning Order's Sanctuary to its original colours and light. The crystals began to move around themselves in a helix formation, before separating and falling toward the ground, into the hands of their respective warriors.

"Tora!" cried Bartz.

"But..." The messenger quickly stood up and looked at all of the warriors, "I watched you all fade! You were disappearing into true darkness!"

"Could this be...Cosmos's doing?" asked Terra, looking down at her red and black crystal.

"She said you all had to experience true darkness, but she never said how long you had to experience it..." Tora murmured, swatting Zidane's hands away from her robe, "Yes Zidane, I am real."

"I thought you would've faded along with Cosmos." he said.

""But...they said we were the ones who killed Cosmos," Cecil chipped in, "Wouldn't that mean that we indirectly killed you as well?"

"But I'm not dead. Cosmos's magic must've protected me just like she protected all of you..." Tora turned around and stared at the altar, "It wasn't all in vain...Cosmos, I'm so sorry..."

Cloud looked down at his crystal and gripped it. "We're not going to let them have their way." The ten warriors faced the horizon, determined to overcome Chaos's rule over the world.

Tora turned back around to face them. "I want to help. I can't just sit by and feel sorry for what I said to Cosmos about her choice. Let me make it up to her memory by helping you."

"You helped us get this far with Cosmos's help," said Squall as he faced her, "Now it's time to prove yourself on your own." Nodding, the messenger gave each of them a smile and watched them head out to the battle.

'_Good luck...champions of Cosmos,' _she thought.

=^w^=


	23. Catlike: AU

_**-Drops of Dissidia-**_

_**-A collection of 'Dissidia: Final Fantasy' drabbles-**_

=^w^=

Part Twenty-Three: Cat-like (AU)

The door to the large house was open, which made Cloud slightly worried. Had someone broken in and stolen the things most important to them? Had someone accidentally left the door open when they were ransacking? Had Sephiroth forgotten to close the door again?

Well, whatever the reason, it still made Cloud push open the door and venture inside. What he saw next surprised him.

Sephiroth – District Attorney Sephiroth – was lying on his stomach on the long couch in the living room, an open book underneath the hand that dangled toward the ground, his long legs hanging carelessly over the arm. Silver hair fanned out on his back, the shorter bangs hanging in front of his closed eyes. His other arm supported his head on the arm of the couch as he slept peacefully, a state Cloud rarely saw the man in.

On top of him was Tora, her head resting between his shoulder blades and her body stretched out on top of him. Orange and black fluttered over silver, some of it falling over the side of the couch in front of Sephiroth's free hand. Legs bent, she just managed to fit herself in the space between the man's legs and the couch arm while her own arms rested on his shoulders. Curled up on a spot on Tora's back was the pale blue Carbuncle Ruby, its forehead jewel glinting with the afternoon sun that came in through the window.

To Cloud, the position looked uncomfortable, but if they were fast asleep it couldn't be _that_ uncomfortable.

"And I thought Squall was the cat person..." murmured the blond, quietly retreating out the house and closing the door behind him.

The three sleepers never awoke.

=^w^=


	24. Trust The Light

_**-Drops of Dissidia-**_

_**-A collection of 'Dissidia: Final Fantasy' drabbles-**_

=^w^=

Part Twenty Four: Trust The Light

'_Why won't Cosmos tell me what I'm really doing here? No-one trusts me because I can't tell them anything about what happened to me; that part of my memory's a blur. Why am I here? What is my purpose?'_

"Tora." The messenger looked up as her name was called, seeing the Warrior of Light walking briskly toward her. His sword and shield were in his hands, but it didn't look as if he was looking for a fight; rather, he'd just come _away_ from a fight. Sighing, she looked back down at her knees.

"Before you ask, I can't tell you any more than I have," she said as his shadow loomed over him, "My memories really are fragmented, but I guess that's too hard to believe."

"I believe you." Gold eyes snapped up to the first warrior of Cosmos, searching for the glimmer that would say that he was telling a joke.

"You're serious..." she whispered.

"Cosmos chose you to help us for a reason, Tora. She saw something in you that you cannot see in yourself." The Warrior of Light held out his sword to the messenger, "Tell me what you see." Tora raised an eyebrow, but looked down into the blade anyway.

"I see a girl who can't walk two paces in a straight line," Looking up at him, the messenger pushed the sword back, "What do you see?"

"I see a loyal woman who is unsure about trusting the light that dwells within her heart." Tora waved off the Warrior of Light's comment and buried her head in her knees.

"How can I trust the light in my heart if I can't find it?"

"Cosmos trusts you, and through her trust you will find your light. I can already see it, as can many of my fellow comrades. Although there are some who are still blinded by their prejudices-" The messenger winced as Squall's previous conversation with her filtered through her head, "-we all feel that Cosmos has made the right choice in trusting you."

Tora stood up and faced the first warrior. "It's going to take more than words of wisdom to help me find the light in my heart. I hope you realise that." The Warrior of Light nodded once.

"We will all assist you in any way we can." he said, turning and walking away.

=^w^=


End file.
